Since Myanmar's civil war intensified after the 2021 military coup, more than 150,000 Rohingya have been displaced from their homes and compelled to seek asylum across Asia. The majority are fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, where a million other members of this persecuted minority already reside in overcrowded refugee camps, following a brutal military crackdown in 2017.

Caught in the escalating conflict between the ruling military government and various rebel factions, some Rohingya refugees report that their family members have been forcibly conscripted, targeted for attacks, and even massacred. These alleged atrocities are unfolding in their homeland, Rakhine State, a region largely controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful local armed group.

Witnesses from the Rohingya community allege that the violence and oppression they are now experiencing at the hands of the Arakan Army are as severe as the ethnic cleansing by the military in 2017, which initially brought global attention to their plight. Both the military and the Arakan Army have denied these allegations, each blaming the other for the ongoing violence.

An investigation by Al Jazeera, in collaboration with human rights investigators from Myanmar Witness and Rohingya citizen journalists, has examined the situation of the Muslim minority during the Arakan Army's takeover of Rakhine. The findings suggest that the rebel group is connected to the human trafficking of Rohingya refugees, including women and children, who are reportedly subjected to sexual violence and brutality.

The Arakan Army has declined to comment on the specific allegations detailed in the investigation. However, its leaders have previously denied accusations of targeted attacks on civilians, including reports of two mass killings of Rohingya villagers in Rakhine State.

In a written statement to Al Jazeera, Myanmar's military alleged that the Arakan Army is inciting hatred against Rohingya Muslims and has "reportedly committed acts of genocide" against them since assuming control of much of Rakhine State.

Amidst the growing violence and the resulting transnational crisis, Bangladesh has expressed its desire to repatriate refugees back to Myanmar through a planned scheme. However, increased activity by Rohingya armed groups reportedly aligned with the military government is complicating these repatriation efforts.

Rohingya rebel groups involved in the conflict have contested these claims. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), when questioned by Al Jazeera, denied burning civilian homes, engaging in harmful activities against Rohingya villagers, or encouraging refugees to fight against the Arakan Army. The investigation utilized leaked documents, covertly filmed footage, and exclusive interviews to explore the underlying causes of this ongoing humanitarian emergency, which is part of Al Jazeera Investigates' "Myanmar Exposed" series on the crisis stemming from the 2021 coup and subsequent civil conflict.